(1938-01-12) The Trouble With Boys
Details for The Trouble With Boys
Summary: Eibhlin hides out from her boy troubles with Ophelia and Hephaesta, only to trigger Ophelia's own issues with a certain member of the male species.
Date: January 12, 1938
Location: Charms Classroom
Related: Inspiration; leads immediately into Tell Me!

Charms Classroom, Hogwarts Castle

The set up of this room is slightly unusual in that there are only four long desks, two lined along each side wall with the back desk on each side raised higher than the front one, creating a stair-like formation and leaving a long corridor open along the middle of the room. The large cathedral-like windows that form most of the back wall provide plenty of illumination to work by the massive wooden desks. Another unusual aspect of the room is the higher than normal vaulted ceilings, soaring up almost 12 feet. The space in front of the windows has been left open, with the exception of the teacher's desk, placed off at an angle in one corner.

Its not always easy, in a school with so many students, to find a quiet place in which to study. More and more, as the year has worn on, all of Ophelia's usual spots have been taken over (mostly by couples looking for a place to snog). So today she tried something different. After breakfast she slipped off to the Charms classroom with Whizzbee with her bookbag. She has been sitting here all morning at one of the front desks al morning, alternating between practicing her newest spells and writing down notes, of which there is now a sizeable pile at her elbow. At the moment, she's taking a break to play with the kitten. Her hair is in a braided bun today, though many wisps have already snuck out, and the sleves of her shirt pushed back to keep them free of the ink stains covering her fingertips.

Hephaesta has been trying, she really has. But Whizzbee just makes her nervous. She's positive that every time Ophelia looks away, the kitten is giving her death-glares and just waiting for a chance to scratch her. But she promised, so she doesn't keep too much distance. Just enough to avoid kitten claws and teeth. She's got her Herbology book in front of her, though concentration is lost, as the look on Ophelia's face when she plays with Whizzbee is far too distracting. So she's just leaning her cheek on one hand, staring at Ophelia with a stupid grin on her face.

Much like her fellow housemates, Eibhlin has been seeking new spots to hide away and study. Her former solace — the Trophy Room — seems to be the spot people find her the most often lately. And with the latest rise of troubles in the romance department, well, she'd rather some time to herself. Satchel bumps against leg, holding robes in place on one side and enabling them to sag on the oppoite. She slides into the charms classroom quickly while the hallway is empty, tugging the door closed behind her. It's not until she turns that she spots Hephaesta and Ophelia on one of the lower tiers of desks. "I'm sorry," the redhead offers in that Irish accent of hers. "Thought it'd be empty…"

Ophelia giggles as Whizzbee demonstrates a particularly adorable feat of kitty acrobatics. She turns from her congratulations quickly, smiling to Eibhlin sympathetically when she sees the girl's face. "You can come in, if you want. I was just taking a break, but we're here to study, too." Whizzbee, meanwhile paws impatiently at the ribbon Ophelia had been using, and mewls pleadingly for more playtime.

Hephaesta is snapped out of her fawning by Eibhlin's voice. She looks up at and nods her agreement with Ophelia. "Come on in, Evie. Are you looking for a place to study, too?" Why else would a Ravenclaw want an empty room?

"I was," Eibhlin says to the two girls, making her way towards them. She settles in nearby at the table and tugs her Transfiguration text out. "It's been… difficult to get much peace and quiet lately, hasn't it?"

Ophelia nods, "It really has. Something about coming back from the holiday, perhaps." She lifts the ribbon, twirling it about the table so Whizzbee can chase it again, "Even the Ravenclaw tower is so full of people these days. And hardly any of them ever seem to want to study anymore."

Hephaesta sighs, shaking her head. "Ravenclaws that don't want to study. What is happening to this school?" Says the girl that was just mooning over her girlfriend instead of studying.

"Not all Ravenclaws are like us," Eibhlin says with a bit of a grin. "Some might seek knowledge in other ways. Perhaps… oh, I don't know. A knowledge of the way people interact." Here she looks towards Phae and smirks a bit. Perhaps she picked up on that somewhat. "I just need a break from non-Ravenclaws right now, to be honest. I just didn't want to hole up in the common room all day."

With a small, disappointed sigh, Ophelia nods once more. "Yes, possibly. Anyhow I hope that's what it is." Lifting her wand, she tries once more the charm she has been practicing, that will set the ribbon spinning slowly around the table on its own. This time it takes, if a little awkwardly, the ribbon jerking around instead of moving more smoothly. But Ophelia takes it as a success, and smiles from the now occupied kitten to Hephaesta, then Eibhlin. "Still. We found a good place, I think."

Hephaesta tilts her head curiously at Evie. "What's wrong with non-Ravenclaws?" She is momentarily distracted by the adorable antics of…well, of Ophelia. The kitten is kinda cute, too.

"Which spell are you using there?" Eibhlin asks of Ophelia, glancing towards the ribbon as it jerks about the table's surface. There's a bit of a distraction then at Phae's question and she draws her gaze to the other girl. "They have little cares for their studies and some of them can be pesky…" She shrugs then, looking to her book as she flips through it idly. "Not that it's always bad… I just never end up able to get back to my studies afterward."

"This one." Ophelia points to one of the open books at the desk, "Its sort of a modified floating spell." She looks at the spell as she thinks on Eibhlin's answer to Hephaesta, frowning, "Truly? I found that I've gotten some of my best studying done with members of other houses."

Hephaesta nibbles at her lip, lifting her brow at Eibhlin. It's one of those awkward moments when she feels like there's something she's missing, but doesn't have a clue what it might be, so it's usually safer just to hold her tongue until the pieces fall into place.

"Conall is probably the only one I've been around recently that's helped my studies much," Eibhlin says with a small shrug. Yes, the same Conall she dated for a time a year or so prior. "He really helped me better understand Transfiguration. I think I might score decently now." She leans over to take a look at the spell. "Ahh… for continued movement, rather than having to stay focused on the object, like with wingardium leviosa?" She sits back a bit, finally finding the spot in her text she was looking for. "Mostly it's when Donovan is around. He drives me up a wall and all he cares about is Quidditch, it seems."

Ophelia nods, a small frown appearing on her face at the mention of Donovan. "I'm starting to agree with you. he takes it far too seriously, too. And he seems incapable of saying anything nice to Du- Theodore."

Hephaesta's pouty lips pout a bit more as she tries to sort out the talk. "Donovan Gallagher? I don't know him very well. But…he's being mean to Theodore?" That earns an outright frown. "Whatever for? I mean…Theodore can be sort of intimidating…but I think he's probably quite nice. Otherwise, why would Ajax like him so much?"

"Because of how Theodore quit the Slytherin team," Eibhlin says with a small shrug. She stares at her hands, atop her book. "He thinks it was cowardly and led to a less challenging game." Her nose wrinkles a bit. "I just hope a new girl catches his attention soon and he leaves me alone."

Ophelia nods to Hephaesta sadly, her eyes widening as Eibhlin explains. "That… how awful. Theodore already feels horrible about the whole thing." She blinks, then, catching on, "Is he… bothering you still?"

Hephaesta rolls her eyes over the matter of Theodore quitting. "It's his business. I don't see why anyone should be bothered about it." She glances between the two redheads, just as curious to hear the answer about Donovan.

"Well, Theodore saying nasty things in response the other day didn't help. Some people think he quit just to spite the team." Eibhlin makes a face. Here, she's not very into the sport, but she's defending it anyway. Hmph! "A little," she says at length, looking to the ceiling then. "He'll try putting his arm around me… The big git's just smart enough to not do it when Dale is around."

Ophelia sighs, rolling her eyes a little. "You know, I am more and more convinced he was trying to flirt with me at Mabel's party, now. And if I were Theodore I'd have said something nasty back too, eventually. One can only take so much."

Hephaesta scowls. "He was trying to flirt with you? Oh, I am going to give him a piece of my mind!" A stern talking-to from a tiny crippled girl should strike fear into his heart.

"I'm sure he was," Eibhlin says with a somewhat firm tone. Well, she can't be entirely sure, but she feels as much now. "So I've found myself avoiding him. Unfortunately, the places I've gone to avoid him… Conall has found me." She hunches a little over the textbook open before her. "Apparently he… regrets us breaking up or something? What is it with boys this year?" She does grin a little at Phae, likely already imagining that 'talking to.'

Ophelia winces. Either from worry for Hephaesta's words… or the fact that her hand had just gotten in the way of Whizzbee's tiny claws. Carefully, she starts pulling the kitten from her hand before he can do any lasting damage. She goes still, though, as Eibhlin talks about Conall and his regrets, her gaze suddenly distant.

"Well, you can come hide out with us any time," Hephaesta offers. "We can be an all girls' club. No boys…allowed." Her words drift off as she notes something off with Ophelia. She's not the most empathetic person, but Ophie alone, she has started to learn to read. She swallows to wet her suddenly dry mouth. "Y-you okay…Ophie?"

"All girls' club," Eibhlin repeats, gazing off past the other two girls. "I like the sound of that." Too many boys in her world lately. She blinks a few times as Phae's voice goes strange and her own eyes focus on Ophelia, head tilting to one side a bit in curiousity.

Ophelia blinks, hearing Phae say her name. "Hm? Oh, y-yes, I'm fine." She smiles, hurriedly, and after a moment's pause holds up her hand, "See? Only a tiny scratch. Its not even red anymore." not commenting yet on the idea of the all girl's club, she picks up Whizzbee and holds him to her chest, the warmth soon calming the kitten.

Hephaesta stares at Ophelia, her features tensing for a moment. She says nothing, but she's about as good at hiding her emotions as Ophelia is at lying. "Yeah…um…good. Kitten scratches are…um…yeah." Phae lowers her gaze to her book, suddenly find the passage she's re-read three times already fascinating again.

Eibhlin looks utterly confused now, glancing between the two girls. She thinks back over things, biting at her lip. "Is it something about boys this year?"

Biting her lip, Ophelia sighs. She looks to Eibhlin, shaking her head slowly as she tries to find the right answer, then just as slowly scoots closer to Hephaesta, until their legs touch in the seats. "Boys are confusing." She finally says, "Especially, if you ask me, the fist years. I've met three to seem just as interesting in flirting with me as Donovan, for examplet." She leans down, trying to catch Phae's eye.

Hephaesta mumbles something almost inaudible through barely-parted lips. Just a few incomprehensible syllables. She keeps her gaze fixed firmly on the page, but at this distance Ophelia can see the shimmer in her eyes, not to mention her stiffness and lack of response to the touch.

Unobservant, thy name is Shine. The Prefect stares at the two, but does drop her gaze after a moment. Eibhlin closes her book and starts to slide towards the edge of the desk. "I'll… uh, I'll leave you two be."

Ophelia shakes her head, and speaks in a low voice "No. I should go. I should take Whizzbee upstairs before lunch, anyway." She gathers her books up quickly, shoving them into her satchel with little care as to their order or to how much she's crumpling her notes, and moves to the end of the desk, her face pinched.

Hephaesta keeps her head lowered, making no sound or motion to stop Ophelia. She's frozen in place, save for a tear now silently making its way down her cheek.

Unfortunately for Eibhlin, Ophelia is quicker to get up than she is. And perhaps more unfortunate for the Prefect who just wanted a quiet place to relax away from her personal drama… she notices Hephaesta. And with that notice, she can't just leave. So she slides down a few seats towards Phae. "What's… what's happened?"

Ophelia hesitates only once, at the door, to look back at Hephaesta. The one look is enough, though, and before the door closes behind her own eyes are filling with tears of their own.

Hephaesta jumps a little when Eibhlin scoots close, as if she'd momentarily forgotten the girl was here. She gives her an apologetic frown, sniffling. Her words are barely a whisper. "I think Ophelia's going to break up with me."

Eibhlin bites into her lip. "I… uhm…" How does she proceed? The redhead shoves her book into her bag, holding the satchel to her torso. She's not going to get any studying done now. "Why do you think that? She's not said anything to me."

Hephaesta wraps her arms around herself in a protective hug. "She's still in love with Kaiden," she says miserably. "I guess I was just…an experiment. But now she knows it's Kaiden she wants." Her face tightens, eyes shutting and her body trembling as the silent sobs start to come.

Oh dear. Eibhlin swallows a bit as Hephaesta reveals this and she moves down to the seat next to her fellow Ravenclaw. "Has… uh, has she told you this? I thought… I thought Kaiden was dating a fellow Hufflepuff?"

Hephaesta shakes her head, choking on tears. "N-no…but I caught her…and Kaiden in the Trophy Room. Alone." She wipes at her eyes, breath hitching in distress.

"Were they doing anything? Did you hear something?" Eibhlin starts to reach out to Hephaesta, but stops herself. She puts her hand around her bag instead, clutching at the fabric. "If… if being alone in the trophy room with someone meant you were dating, I'd be with Conall, Donovan, and Dale." And then things would be very confusing.

Hephaesta takes a few difficult breaths, slowly gaining a measure of control. "I came in…and she suddenly stepped back from him. She looked very nervous, but…I don't know, I just wanted to think it was something else."

"Oh." Eibhlin does finally reach out to gingerly try to pat Hephaesta on the shoulder. "Have you… well, I guess you wouldn't want to talk to Kaiden." She worries at her lip some more. They're going to be so chapped later. "Ophelia isn't the sort of person to try to hurt someone… if she really felt that way, I'd think she'd talk to you about it." At least, Evie hopes so.

Hephaesta sniffles. "I thought so. But…oh, Evie, I don't want to lose her. What do I do?" She looks up, eyes pleading with Eibhlin for guidance.

The bit of color Eibhlin has behind those freckles drains. The teen slumps her shoulders a bit and retracts her hand. "Phae… I, I don't know. I'm rubbish at all of this myself." A pause as she stares at her hands. "If I figure any of it out, I'll let you know."

Hephaesta's face drops in disappointment. "R-right…sorry," she murmurs meekly. "I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you." She closes her Herbology book, tucking it into her leather satchel. "Thank you, f-for listening."

Eibhlin's shoulders slump, rounding somewhat. She fusses with the closure for her satchel. "It's alright," she says finally. "Everyone… needs someone to talk to and I know it's hard when… the person you'd usually open up to is the person you can't."

Hephaesta nods, taking a deep breath. Those words hit home the best. "Yeah. Um…I think I'm gonna go now. Thank you again, Evie." She rises, hefting her satchel onto her shoulder and heads for the door.

"Well, damnu air," Eibhlin mutters under her breath as Phae departs. The teen will sit for some time longer before shuffling her way out as well.
